Every year kids in the fifth grade travel to Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland, Minnesota to learn about nature and what nature can teach us, often through hands-on activities. Above: Three children attempt to locate birds. Left: A student bravely walks high in the air through the ropes course.
One of the most highly anticipated traditions in Cook County is the annual Sawtooth Mountain Elementary 5th grade trip to Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland.
This year, 29 fifth-graders, three staff members, and seven parent chaperones made the trip down the shore for a two-night, three-day adventure that won’t soon be forgotten.
During their time at Wolf Ridge the kids conquered the ropes course, scaled the indoor climbing walls, studied a frozen lake (and caught a few fish in the process), learned about the nighttime sky, and went birding, all while learning teamwork and building self-confidence in a beautiful outdoor setting. They lived in dormitory housing, helped in the kitchen, and earned a perfect score in the “Conservation Challenge.” It was a terrific trip.
Special thanks goes out to all the families who helped raise money for the trip by helping with kiddie rides last summer, selling calendars, writing checks, donating snacks, and generally bending over backwards to make this trip happen. A superheroic effort by the parent chaperones made this trip extra-special as well. Nathan Clay, Ryan Mixdorf, Michael Crotteau, Aaron Schmidt, Heath Ekstrom, Sharon Dorr, and Becca Jorgensen all went far above and beyond in their efforts to make the trip safe and enjoyable. The kids will never forget you.
The fifth-graders are also extremely grateful for the generous gifts from the kind people at Grand Marais State Bank, The Frank DiMaio Fund, The North Shore Collaborative, The Grand Marais Lions, The Grand Marais Lionesses, and the Cook County Schools Education Foundation. The grants and donations from these organizations made the trip possible.
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